Domestic flights in Russia

[matty744]

Work will see me having to venture to Russia a few times this yr.Looking for some help on the following if some of you have been recently:
- How much time required pass through immigration and through to domestic flights?
- how painful/easy is check in/ security for domestic flights and time needed for this? (mostly moscow/st petersburg/sochi) flight stats shows most flight ontime or within 15mins of schedule so looks promising!
Cheers
Matty

 

[sergeyvzn]

1) What airport in Moscow are you talking about? It greatly varies...if you arrive on an international flight in St.Petersrburg, transfer to a domestic flight involves changing terminals. That's a bus trip almost around the world (the terminals are across the runway from each other and the connecting road is all around the perimeter).
2) check in is easy and normally quick. Security may be a pain, also depends on the airport. Be aware that even to enter into the terminal from your taxi/bus/train you need to pass through security - X-ray your bags etc. Can take forever, especially in SVO D/E/F - easily will take an hour if you're unlucky. Also be prepared for taking your shoes and putting these silly blue plastic bags on your feet to pass through security inside the airport, body pat downs and 360 degree full body X ray

 

[Wezza]

I never had to remove my shoes at all on this last trip to Russia. I used DME twice & KZN twice as well. Last time though I had to remove my shoes almost every time I passed through security at SVO, KZN & LED. Immigration is reasonably quick though I found, though SVO Terminal F is woefully designed and the passport control area is just terrible.

 

[matty744]

1) What airport in Moscow are you talking about? It greatly varies...if you arrive on an international flight in St.Petersrburg, transfer to a domestic flight involves changing terminals. That's a bus trip almost around the world (the terminals are across the runway from each other and the connecting road is all around the perimeter).
2) check in is easy and normally quick. Security may be a pain, also depends on the airport. Be aware that even to enter into the terminal from your taxi/bus/train you need to pass through security - X-ray your bags etc. Can take forever, especially in SVO D/E/F - easily will take an hour if you're unlucky. Also be prepared for taking your shoes and putting these silly blue plastic bags on your feet to pass through security inside the airport, body pat downs and 360 degree full body X ray

Hey sergeyvzn
1: more than likely DME for all incoming flights as cx have good timings on their flights and OW sure does help.
2: thanks for the info. S7 seems like the way we are going with domestic flights. Thanks as well Wezza for the info

 

[sergeyvzn]

Hey sergeyvzn
1: more than likely DME for all incoming flights as cx have good timings on their flights and OW sure does help.
2: thanks for the info. S7 seems like the way we are going with domestic flights. Thanks as well Wezza for the info

In case of DMD - there may be a long wait at passport control. The airport is used for a multitude of charter flights to resort destinations and is generally busy. Not as bad as LAX but I'd give it at least an hour if you go through general passport control lines. From what I gather, you will be transferring from CX to S7, in this case follow signs to Transfer/Transit to separate passport controls - there are fewer people there. CX should be able to check your luggage through to your final destination in Russia and if this is the case, you just go to sector C or D, through security (may be busy but not too bad) and to your boarding gate. I'm not sure if CX checks you in all the way though - if not, you need to add luggage collection and domestic check in to the times. I'd say, if you're very lucky - at least 40-50 min for the whole thing. If you're unlucky and stuck in a passport control queue for a hour - 1.5 hr min. At any rate I'd leave at least 1.5 for your connection in DMD if I were you. It's the busiest airport to Moscow and security was tightened a few years ago after a bomb went off in the arrival hall so you're safe now
also, if you get out of or into DMD make sure you catch a train rather than a taxi/car - traffic jams are horrendous

 

[Wezza]

Also, just be sure to keep listening to announcements as gates are often changed at DME.